Kingdom Hearts: The Fabled War
by TravisSykes
Summary: Long before our time, in the land of fairy tales, a war waged on for the the ultimate power; Kingdom Hearts. The forces of light and dark were only two sides of the fight and this story introduces the Militia, an organization of troops paid for their services. See the events of the Keyblade War through the eyes of a young man named Travis and watch the true events unfold.
1. Prologue

_Long before our time, in the land of fairy tales, were countless worlds of all different kinds. Each had their own unique set of customs and people and all worlds intermingled with each other, mixing and creating new ways of life every day. These worlds were connected by pathways of pure light which protected travelers on their journeys towards other worlds. Some sought new prospects and some wanted adventure. These worlds pleased all in their search, every form of life accepting of another. Many called it a paradise, but for those who lived in this time, it was simply life; no more, no less._

_ Preserving these ways of life and pathways was a single entity known commonly as Kingdom Hearts, or the Heart of All Worlds. Many say it was a light so bright, that no darkness could live and no evil would ever corrupt its' mighty luminescence. However, for the sake of protection, Kingdom Hearts had a counterpart. While Kingdom Hearts was the ultimate light and the greatest protector of good, the weapon of great destruction, the final judgment, the X-Blade, existed to maintain order in the event that a darkness arose that had the power to withstand the light. This was a mistake._

_ Stories had been told throughout all worlds that whoever shall come upon Kingdom Hearts' light and wield the destructive X-Blade, they shall gain true power and be a God amongst all worlds and all their creatures. Some dismissed these as tall tales, but those who believed these words began to change. The lust for power was too strong in them and their newfound greed tempted them to make weapons in the image of the X-Blade; Keyblades. _

_ On the day of the great Festival of Purity in the prosperous kingdom of Tener, this group struck and claimed countless lives, taking everyone by surprise and claiming the kingdom as their own, renaming it Tenebrae. The darkness was strong in these individuals and it began claiming others, leading to conquests and the destruction of many worlds. One king decided to take action, believing that Kingdom Hearts had abandoned their cries for help, and amassed an army of his own, defenders of light. They wielded their own Keyblades, forging them with magic and purity rather than with force and corruption._

_ The two entities fought, their paths of war leaving trails of death behind them, until they met for one final battle under the light of Kingdom Hearts. The war waged on, baiting the X-Blade into plain sight and forcing it to take action against both the forces of light and darkness alike. They rebelled against it, fought it, and all who had done so had lost their lives. The field of war had been littered with the Keyblades of countless fallen warriors, a remaining testament to the scale of the losses. The conflict had shattered the X-Blade into twenty pieces and scattered them throughout the cosmos and had submerged the Heart of All Worlds into an abyss of darkness, expecting to never see the light of day again. _

_ The tale of this war states that the last remaining light in the Hearts of children brought the powerful protector back from the depths, only to have it destroy the pathways it had once created in hopes of keeping the worlds safe and stifling any further conflict as massive as the war. Now, all worlds live separated, their Hearts beckoning a return to peace, but never being answered. _

_ All the result of the fabled battle; The Keyblade War._

A soft afternoon breeze rolled through the gardens, a smell of flowers and freshly trimmed flora swirling in the air. The songs of birds perched upon branches filled the air as the chattering of people below went on and on; a great symphony of conversation. This was a popular place for the denizens of this world and for good reason; it was beautiful and calm, especially on days where no clouds lingered in the sky, allowing the sun to hit the entirety of the small paradise of the gardens. Amongst all the cheerful population, on a small patio of a white house that overlooked the gardens, sat a grandmother and her granddaughter.

"Grandma, is that how the story really ends," the child asked her elder with sadness in her voice. The old woman nodded and cleared her throat to speak. "I'm afraid so, dear. Not every story is a happy one. Our lives are ever changing and if we remember that, we'll never be caught off guard." The young girl pouted in thought, not completely understanding of her grandmother's wisdom, but this brought a smile to the woman's aged face. Although young, her kin may remember that fact for the rest of her life and may one day understand it. For now, though, the girl seemed to want more. She wanted a better story.

"Mmm, grandma… Is there any more to the story? Are there any happy parts? I like those types of stories." The aging woman thought for a moment, her eyes looking at the sky above, and then nodded. "Oh, why yes, my love. There is much, much more to that story than most people know, but you're far too young to understand it all. Besides, it would take all day to tell it!" The child's eyes widened with wonder at the thought of a long story with a happy ending. "Grandma," the child sternly spoke with a demanding tone, "You have to tell the story! If you don't, then I'll just… not visit you!" The elder chuckled at the thought of her own granddaughter commanding things from her; what a sight to behold for children to do such things to the elderly.

If she were an unmerciful woman with blood of vinegar, she would tell her to leave now, but she decided to play along and humor her kin. "Oh, I suppose you've won. Sit down, now. We have much to go over." The older woman patted the seat next to her own and the girl, with renewed vigor and happiness evident by her wide smile, climbed up to the seat and stared intently at her grandmother, awaiting the story of her life. "Mmmhm. Yes, I believe I know where to begin with this. Ahem!"

_The tale of war between the forces of light and dark was only a snippet of the true legend of the Keyblade War. For, you see, there stood yet another force in the fog of war, its motives shrouded and secret even to its own members. This group strong enough to face the great powers of the cosmos was known as the Militia; simple, but the name was known and they were feared by the other warring forces as warriors who stood for nothing, yet fought as if everything was on the line. _

_ From all of the destruction and carnage, there stood one young man who had the heart and strength to stand up and fight against the needless bloodshed. He influenced many to his cause, for he believed that if he struck at the core of the problem, then both forces could come to their senses and end the fighting on their own accord, with little force. This young man rose from the bottom of the ranks and displayed courage and skill in the face of all adversity. He gripped the blade of destiny and sought peace through reason. He was a beacon of hope for those who hadn't a thought of what the good fight was. _

_ His name was known, his name was inspiration, and it was valor, life…_

_ His name was…_

"Travis!" The bold voice of his father echoed through the inner chambers of his mind; it was a voice he had come to know meant irritation and the coming of discipline. He must have fallen asleep again; the third time now, and three times was enough to set his father into a speech on self-discipline and strength of mind. "I'm sorry, dad, I just-." He tried to explain why he had dozed off, but as a father, more importantly a leader, excuses were of no use and he was cut off. "How many times have I told you about this!? I'm tired of lecturing you, Travis. You've been this way since you went to school. You need to find a way to remain awake during your lessons. If you can't even do that, then how could you possibly imagine keeping guard on a headquarters for twenty-four hours or more?"

It wasn't any use to argue, because as a lowly private and a son to a father and a leader, he was always wrong; doubly wrong, at all times. All he could do was lower his head in shame, averting his eyes to avoid contact with the burning glare he had grown up to know. "I'm sorry, dad… I'm trying, I really am… I'll do my best to stay awake this time." "You best! Otherwise, I'll have you find out that being my son does not grant you any special privileges above any other individual here."

_I never said he started as a courageous, inspirational soldier…_

**Kingdom Hearts: The Fabled War**

**Chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 1

The sound of sharpened steel cutting through the fibers of dummy targets overpowered any talking in the distance, so there wasn't anything to distract the young soldier from paying attention to his father's instruction. Travis had been in a purgatory-esque life of training for the past month as his father attempted to fine tune the skills the teen had been taught in initial training, but nothing seemed to stick with him as he constantly nodded in and out of the waking world. Something about the new environment and actually being in the true Militia, not just training for it, forced his attention towards other things, like his future and how long this war would take and if he would ever be a strong, respected soldier. "Now, son, watch closely to my stance with this attack. You'll want to be about ten degrees off on other side of your opponent's front. See my feet? They're firmly planted, yet not flat. That's the key."

_Ugh, _Travis began thinking to himself, _When will this be over? We've been in here for hours! I don't think I can take this any longer!_ "Travis! I swear if you're falling asleep again, I'll have you hanging over a fence by your fingers!" "Huh? Oh, no! I was paying attention, dad! I swear!" If the room had been any quieter, people might have given the two a curious glance, but it was a busy day in the training area and bickering was the least of anyone's worries. "Oh, really now? Come up and show me what I just demonstrated!" _Ah, dammit… _He was in some deep shit now. He could only vaguely remember what his father had been doing for the past ten minutes, but if he didn't at least give it a shot, he was going to be found out.

With a deep sigh, the young soldier stood up from his seat and rolled his shoulders back twice to warm himself up. His father extended his arm to offer his son a simple short sword from the armory. It was a mass-produced, mediocre blade commonly distributed to those who held prowess in melee combat rather than magic. Travis reached for it and was startled when his father snapped his arm back, the blade retreating from his grasp. "You should know the proper way to accept a weapon from someone, Travis. This is something I taught you before you even joined." _Oh, that's right, _he remembered, _Ask permission, hilt first, then gratitude. AHG: Always Have Gratitude._

He composed his thoughts before beginning, "Sir, may I receive this weapon?" His father looked as if he were in deep thought, chin tilted upwards and eyes squinted. After a moment, he nodded to himself and flipped the sword, catching it by the blade and giving the hilt to his son. Travis bowed slightly and received his equipment, almost forgetting to thank his father. "Uh, hm… Thank you, sir." His father seemed less than impressed, but allowed his son to take the weapon for the sake of training and stepped away from the dummy, beckoning his son to take charge with a hand gesture. "Go on, son. Show me what you've learned." _Alright then. I'll do this, show him some type of proficiency in this, and then hopefully be let go for the day._

Gripping the tough leather wrapping the hilt, Travis closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to get into the right mindset. He tightened his grip, nodded, and then tried remembering the things his father had just said. _Okay, something about… ten degrees? I'll just step this way!_ With quickness, Travis stepped to the right and leaned forward into his attack, eyes on center-mass. He exploded through, dashing forward and turning his body to the right with all his strength put behind this attack. The blade came up, hitting the wooden dummy and sending a loud, echoing smack throughout the whole room.

_Ha! I did great! I want to go in for another hit, just for effect! Ha h… _He jerked back and was stopped suddenly, a dumbfounded look replacing the one of confidence he once proudly displayed. The sword wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he tried pulling back; no amount of strength could expel the sword from the dummy. "Paying attention… right… If you had 'paid attention' like you said you were, you would have known that this isn't an attack of pure strength." Travis let go of the blade as his father came to his side and, without so much as grunting slightly, pulled the blade from the poor victim. "It's about hitting at an angle to where you can cut deep, but follow through. If you can't follow through, it's like throwing a wet potato at a brick wall. You haven't learned a single thing today; like always."

Travis cast his gaze to the ground with crushed spirit, "I'm sor-," "No, I don't want to hear it. I've had enough of you not listening to me. I told you I wasn't going to treat you with any bias, so go to your room and pack your bag for two nights of duty. I'll give you your orders in an hour." "W-wait, dad! Hold on, I'l-," "No!" The objection bellowed through the room and, this time, it caught everyone's attention. The operations ceased almost at an instant, the two soldiers catching the stares and curiosity of their peers. "You will do as I say, do you understand me!? I won't have you talking back to me like some common private!" A silence hung over the area and Travis began to turn a shade of red from the embarrassment.

"… Yes, sir." He didn't have anything else to say and he quickly made his way to the exit, eyes cast down in shame. Whispering and muffled laughter filled his burning ears as he fumbled for the doorknob to the inner building. He tried not to give it any thought and threw the door open, feeling the piercing gaze of his father's aging blue eyes against the back of his head. The door shut and, with haste, the disgraced soldier made his way down the hallways of the base, hands shaking and breaths drawn out to attempt to calm him down. He pushed aside a number of other soldiers on his beeline towards the end of the hallway, gathering even more wondering stares. He needed out, desperately, from the open; he needed his room and the solitude it provided.

He came upon his door, a metal panel with a knob and a keyhole near the center, as well as a name plate and room number centered at the top, about four inches from the threshold. The sight never gave him more joy as he shoved his trembling hands into his pockets to find his key, taking hold of the cold metal and jamming it into the keyhole, unlocking it with a swift turn and pushing inside to his dark room. The door slammed behind him and he fell to the ground, alone in the darkness of his room, the only visible light coming from under his door. He sat against his bed, eyes to the ceiling, as he tried calming his breathing, playing through the ordeal in his head again and again.

_How did I let it come to this? I can't believe I fell asleep again. If I had just stayed awake for a moment a longer and paid attention to his instructions, I could have avoided this. I'm a disappointment, I can tell it in his tone, the way he sighs whenever he talks to me. I'm just the worst. _In the darkness, Travis continued to think to himself of all the times he was a disappointment, all the embarrassing moments he had ever experienced, even the ones not associated with his father. All of these feelings came rushing through and he couldn't take it. He slumped down and hit the ceramic floor, eyes wide open and beginning to redden. He screwed up, but what was he getting worked up for?

He had done this many times before and his father had always punished him and they made up by having a talk and then it would all repeat; a never-ending cycle of disappointment. He felt as if he were overreacting at this point, but was he? What if this was the final straw with his father? What if he would never be able to redeem himself? What if the cycle didn't come back around and his father never let this down? He could be sent back home, shunned by his town for having failed, or worse; he could end up dead on the battlefield, never having accomplished anything with his life, just another corpse on the battlefield already littered by his fallen brothers and sisters.

He closed his eyes, his thoughts being drowned out by others of a better nature. Open fields and clouds covering the sun so there was light, but not to the extent of blinding. He thought of the sound of waves on the beach as they softly brushed across the shore, leaving a mark that disappeared as soon as it came into existence. He could swear he smelled the salty breeze as it came across the ocean and onto land. The young soldier began to calm down, his heart's pace slowing down and his breaths returning to normal; even his face began to stop burning. This was his way of easing inner troubles and it was an effective method.

He opened his eyes, finally adjusted to the darkness, and sat himself up. He reached under his bed and pulled on a strap, sliding a bag out and tossing it onto his bed. Travis stood from the floor, feeling a moment of light headedness, but not reacting to it. He simply came towards the footlocker at the foot of his bed and opened it, looking for his sets of clothes and other necessities for two days of work. He grabbed shirts, pants, socks, personal health items, and a piece of folded up paper, shoving it all into his bag save for the parchment, which he opened.

It was a drawing of a house and two children playing outside of it, his name over one child's head and his sister's over the other. He had been given this many years before and he kept it either on his person or safely in his room. It was just a little reminder that he still had a home somewhere else and a reminder of the reasons he joined this organization in the first place. He wanted to protect his family, his friends… he wanted to make his father proud. He folded the paper back up and slid it into his pocket, returning to his packing. He finished and zipped it up, tossing it to the ground and threw himself onto his bed, hoping to catch a wink of sleep before his father came with orders.

Who knew what he would be doing, but why would he care? He didn't have much of a choice but to do what he was told and no amount of complaining would change that. Shutting his eyes, he thought of that calm little beach, where the trees rustled with the coming of wind and the worries melted away with the sun's heat.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Huh!? Oh, geez… I must have forgotten to set an alarm. Hold on!" A loud knocking came from the other side of the room and Travis could see that it was shaking a little from the force. It had to be his father; no one else really knows about his existence here in the Militia, he's just another face in the halls. It was a shame, for sure, seeing as he wanted to make some friends here, but it had only been a month since his arrival to this station, so he assumed it was because he wasn't seen enough. Maybe if he would be good at something other than falling asleep during training, he would make an impression on someone. _Oh well, I suppose. I'll just try not to be such a shit bag anymore._ It was easier said than done.

The soldier leaned forward and felt for his bag, gripping tightly to the straps and sliding out of bed in a single and swift movement. He gave a good yawn as he stretched, then went for the door handle, turning it and pulling back to see who was knocking. _Wait, if it's my dad, I can apologize! Alright, here goes! _Without giving it a second thought, he began, "Look, dad, I'm really sorry abo-," "Woah, hold down there, private! I've been around the block once or twice, but I'm sure I don't have any kin of my own just yet. Hahaha!" It wasn't his father. Why would it have been; he has much more important things to do than to hand his son the orders on his own.

"O-oh. My apologies! I'm assuming you're here because-," "Sgt. Orion sent me to deliver these orders to you. He said to be down at the trans room in about fifteen minutes. Got everything packed?" Travis stood in his open doorway, flipping through the pages of the shoddily stapled papers detailing his station and duties for the duration of the time there. He was being sent to some place called Sleepy Hollow and was given guard duty at an outpost. "Hey, kid, you listening?" The young soldier's head jolted up from the papers and he responded quickly and frantically. "Huh!? Oh, wha- yeah. I'm listening." "Hm. Well, alright. If you've got it all packed up, let's get walking." The two began down the hall, the door shutting slowly behind Travis as he began turning the pages once again. "Uh, hey. You have any questions?"

"Yeah, I sorta do. It's this place, Sleepy Hollow? I've never been anywhere other than at HQ, so I'm not sure what to expect." The man contorted his face slightly in thought, nodding and giving 'uh-huhs' to confirm his own ideas. "Yeah, that old outpost on the outskirts of the town, that's right. You'll be in the forest and, with any 'luck', you'll be stuck with Jep. That's just about the worst place to be; stuck with a jack hole in a boring place like that. That sergeant is an ass." Travis's dread began to grow with every word spoken to him; dad was really serious about this punishment. The silence between the two grew thicker and it seemed the man wasn't really much a fan of awkward quietness. "So, hey… you're new around here and I know how tough it is to be the newbie, so if you ever need anything, my name's Reiner. Sergeant Reiner."

"Oh, thanks. I appreciate it, sergeant. My name's Travis Sykes, if you didn't already know." "Woooaah! You're Sykes's son? Shit, man, hey… About that whole 'he's an ass' thing? I didn't mean it for real." Travis laughed at Reiner's obvious pleading. Maybe more people were scared of him than he thought. "No worries. I agree with you." "Ah, I guess you two had a falling out?" "Mmm," the soldier's eyes squinted slightly and his expression changed from thankful joy to dreadful reminiscence, "Sounds about right, yeah." The two had finally arrived at the door leading to the Trans room, Trans being a simple way to say transportation that even high ranking officials began using. The door was huge and split down the middle, a large, circular locking mechanism in the middle in place to act as a safe guard, lest any creatures from other worlds or delinquents find their way through.

"Well, this is where I leave you, guy. Enjoy yourself!" Reiner waved as he turned around to backtrack to the hall he needed to go down. "Thanks! I'll see you when I return, I guess." Reiner stopped in his tracks, as if he had something he wanted to say to the young man behind him. "H-hey! Whenever you get back, come find me. I'll let you meet some other privates. I think you would all be good friends… So, take care out there, alright!?" A smile grew on Travis's face and he let out a good chuckle. "I'll keep you to that, Sergeant! I'll do my best to keep safe!" With that, both soldiers turned back and continued on their ways. The doors creaked open, the mechanisms to open and close them obviously straining against the weight of the steel doors.

The atmosphere changed immediately from calm to rushed and busy as soon as Travis stepped through the doors, contracted workers and soldiers alike running around to get things done. He actually felt out of place and in the way by just entering the area, but he had a job to do, and he was going to get it done with. The sooner he got clearance for travel, the sooner he would be out of this odd place. Honestly, it must be a normal, everyday occurrence for these people, but this was his second time being here; once for orientation and the second time being now. All he remembered was where the offices were and he thought about bee-lining it to them, but there was so much going on, like minor construction and other groups of soldiers getting ready for their own duties in other worlds.

It seemed someone had noticed his expression of helplessness and had rushed over. "Hey, hey, kid, private, look here! Where do you need to be?" "Uh, what? Oh, uhm, I need to go to the clearance offices to get authorization." Travis fumbled with his papers and words all the same, making the exchange typical of what other privates in his same position would have been like. The man was in a mask with black goggles that couldn't be seen through, so his expression was completely unknown. Whether or not he was judging the confused young man or not was up in the air, but there's a good bet that he was being judged… harshly. "What? Clearance and authori- just, look, man, where ya goin'? I can help! Hurry!" "Ahh, Sleepy Hollow, here are my papers!" The masked contractor took the papers flicked through the pages at blinding speeds. With a flick of his finger, a pen came out and he began to sign off where it was needed.

With force, the papers were thrown back at him and he was being pushed to his portal. "Look kid, no authorization office, screw that, not needed, ask us, same authority, that portal, go now, good job, have fun!" "W-woah! Hold up, I'm no- ahhh!" A single shove was all it took for the soldier to be sucked into a purple portal, a doorway of magic through many miles, sending him on his way. These things took no more than a few seconds, but sometimes the way you went into one determined how you came out of the aether. "-hhh! Gah! Shit!" about five feet in sky was where Travis had appeared and nothing was there to help his fall, so in an instant, he fell to the ground with a loud thump.

"Aw, man… never again. I don't think I can take any more of that. I'll go straight to the office instead next time." Slowly and painfully, Travis stood from the ground, brushing himself off as he did. He examined the new environment for changes; something his father had told him was incredibly useful for someone of his duty. The whole world seemed more… gray? He couldn't really tell what he meant by that, but his vision had become slightly more bland, with all colors seeming washed out and old. Even his clothes seemed more worn out than before, but he noticed more; the whole place was covered in a thick blanket of fog. "Well, this seems like an exciting get-away from HQ. Now, to find out where I'm supposed to be…"

No more than a few seconds in did the distant shadow of a building catch his eyes. He was getting attuned to the simple and washed out look everything had, but he still didn't like it. His footsteps must have hit every twig and patch of leaves on his way there, because as soon as the building's simple wooden structure came into plain view, the door opened and a head poked out, looking around for what the noise was caused by. The man was in his late twenties with a head of cropped, orange hair and a face full of freckles. His eyes looked very… criticizing? He thought that was the word to use. The two met each other's gaze, and the red-head's eyes locked on like a hawk. He stepped out of the building and the orange light within, showing his tall height and lanky frame covered in leather armor.

"Hey, you the new kid?" "I'm the new private, Travis Sykes. I'm here to report for duty." An audible sigh escaped the tall fellow and he lazily waved to him to get into the building. _I'm going to have so much fun here, I can tell, _Travis thought as he climbed the few steps leading to the door. As he entered, the door shut behind him and was locked immediately. The redhead sized the young man up, seeming displeased for some reason. "You look like a kid, you walk like a kid, and you talk like a kid; so they sent me someone to babysit, how perfect. Take a seat." Before he could react, the man snatched the papers out of his hands and read them over. Everything in the small building seemed simple; wooden chairs, a table, shelves, a desk, and some lanterns that were all lit.

"Uh, so what do we do he-," "Shh, guy. I'm not in the mood for small talk. Get comfty, 'cause you're gonna be sitting there in silence for a while." Travis huffed as he took a seat, watching the man do his paper work at the desk. "My name is Jep, I'm your peer. Welcome to Sleepy Hollow; you're gonna sleep so much your life will be a hollowed out mess. We sit here and make sure nothing goes down, got it? No small talk, I don't want to hear it. Sit there, and if you hear anything, let me know." "Oh… alright." So, with that, the both of them sat in the room in complete silence. An exhilarating beginning to the next few days he would have to spend here.


	4. Chapter 3

A soft breeze blew by, causing the trees to rustle and brush against the outpost. The scratching of the branches and leaves against the wooden building was a welcome distraction to the scratching of pen on paper and the annoying clicking sound that Jep's blade made as he jittered and shook. Travis peered out of the window in boredom, trying to cut a hole through the fog and see something interesting; a bird, a fox, a jackalope, or anything, really. However, no matter how hard he tried to catch something in the dense, obscuring blanket, he couldn't see anything worth writing home about. A distressed sigh escaped his lips and his post-mate spun around, glaring at the young man with a huff.

"Look, kid. There are two things we do here: paperwork and watch. If you ain't watchin', you're paperworkin'. Guess what you ain't doin'? Exactly! Now stop the huffing and puffing and keep your eyes peeled and ears open!" Jep turned back to his work, scribbling whatever it was that was needed. Travis stood up and looked out of the window behind him, spotting a small bit of movement close-by. _Finally, _he thought to himself as he clenched his fists in excitement, _something is outside! Gotta watch to make sure it isn't a… _This whole time, Travis hadn't even asked what exactly he was looking out for. The thought ran through his mind to ask the red haired corporal, but knowing the outcome, he decided to keep to himself and continue watching.

There was significantly more movement in the tree branches in one spot and the young mercenary could see a small shadow flick in and out of his sight. A loud, grating caw came from the direction of the movement, setting off more of the same noise through-out the forest. "It was just a crow? Oh, come on," Travis thought out loud. "Hey! What'd I say!?" The corporal whipped around and threw something towards him in anger. "I apologize, corporal! Just… thought out loud. Haha…" Jep shook his head as he turned back around, taking deep breaths as he attempted to calm himself down. _What's there to even look for out here? _

The crows had left by now; in search for what he could only assume was food. A number of leaves slowly descended from the tall trees, landing softly and without a sound. The jingle of Jep's blade broke the silence, followed by the skidding of a chair. "Hey, kid. I'm going out for a small patrol. You keep doin' what you're doin'. Open the door for seven knocks, no more and no less. Got it?" "Roger that! Oh, by the way-," Jep had already started out of the door, closing it and interrupting the young soldier mid-sentence. "… What am I looking out for?" Travis stood straight up, stretching out before walking around the room. "This has got to be the lamest thing ever! I fall asleep and _this_ is what I'm punished with? I'm literally watching nothing!" The annoyed teen kicked the air and sat down at the desk, letting his head fall against the wooden surface.

An idea hit him as soon as he made contact with the rough wood of the desk; he should look at the papers! Whatever Jep was doing must have been important, or at least contain some sort of information to what he was looking for, since the short-fused corporal sure wasn't letting him know. "Alright, Jep; since you aren't going to let me in on this whole business, I'm gonna take things in my own hands! Let's see here…" The hands of the eager teen had begun to rummage through the stacks of papers littering the plain desk. Some of the stacks were only daily logs, with much of the same entries scribbled into each section. 'Patrolled the designated area: no activity.' 'Filled proper documentation: completed and filed according to regulation.'

The "proper documentation" detailed in the logs was a collection of different papers that held no significance to Travis. In that pile, there were a multitude of blank copies organized together in what he could only assume was the proper order with a copy of each filled out on top. Next to that, unsurprisingly, was a book bound in very rough leather that had seen some better days. The young soldier took it, inspecting the cover front and back for any title, or author: anything, really. There wasn't anything on the exterior, but upon opening the box was a name on the first page: Lile N. Jep. The next page after that started the journal, the first entry having been dated to when Travis himself was still in school a few years back.

_The day has finally come; graduation of my common training. There were many obstacles which I had to climb to get here, as well as many friends who could not be with us, but the outcome was the same. I have my sights set on bigger things, like promotions and awards and fighting, but depending on where they put me, I have to be prepared to do much less adventuring and bad-assery than I have been planning. I think this book will be my personal record, something to take wherever this coming war may lead me so as to document my travels and experiences with new worlds. With any luck, I'll be a war hero! _

_They have placed me in a second-strike unit called "The Wave of Fire". However, many have titled us as "The Lil' Fenrirs". The first boots on the ground, the front-line soldiers who do much of the extreme work such as espionage and raids; their unit is "Fenrirs". They keep to themselves mostly, but are made up of good-hearted guys. The only ass-holes, the ones who started the "Lil' Fenrirs" schtick, are the older sergeants. It seems that they find us as more of a formality than a true unit. We're just the guys who hit the stragglers, who clean up the bits and pieces left over by their initial strikes. That's fine, I suppose. Just some banter between units, is all. I've come to expect it. _

_I myself am very pleased to be part of the action, regardless of when I hit the battlefield, and the men I'm fighting with are all close-knit and welcoming of new recruits. I guess I'm lucky to be a part of "The Wave" and am eager to prove myself out on the field._

_We began training yesterday and that consisted of sparring and some lessons on weapon play and some minor magic use. I got put up against one of the seniors of the unit, a Keeler Trin, and he introduced me to a very complex, but effective, means of wielding the sword. Needless to say, he handled me with ease, dispatching my many attempts at striking him and disabling my use of magic with well-timed spells of his own. He came to me after the day was done and told me I had potential, that he wanted to teach me his style of fighting. I eagerly accepted his offer and am now too excited to sleep. This is my first step to becoming a sergeant and being able to teach subordinates of my own._

_It has been a few months now since Sergeant Trin had begun teaching me his fighting style. He called it Dis-Blading, explaining to me that it was one of the most effective ways to fight the enemies that were rising to power, even as I write this entry. The training was rough and often time I would be woken up earlier than the others to conduct more training. I had to be able to fight at any time: just waking up, getting ready to fall asleep, during a meal, any time. So, even during my chow time, Sgt Trin would "attack" me. He was something else, for sure. I was getting the hang of some of the skills, though, and I was rising through the ranks. I'm sure some of it had been on Trin's behalf with recommendations, but I felt as if that was part of the deal. I was being trained as a strong soldier and, as such, I needed to be able to pass my knowledge onto others who needed it._

_I was told there was no more training. I had proven myself to Trin and he accepted me as his true heir. I sit here now with the greatest feeling of joy that I've never once felt in my life. He told me many of his secrets, one of them being that he could have easily given me the knowledge of Dis-Blading simply by giving his own life; a technique he said was necessary to pass on his style if he were to ever fall to an enemy. He wanted to teach me, though, with his own hands because he wanted to change one soldier's life before his age caught up to him. He was old, that was for sure. The gray had been showing through more and more since the days passed, but his strength and energy hadn't diminished. I feel grateful to have been his student, to learn his tricks of the trade and be a part of this unit._

_We were told that we would be going to battle in two days. The forces of Light had begun their march across the Outer Lands to make their way to a Dark stronghold. I myself would have let them take the victory, and then struck as soon as they were weakened by the battle, but the higher ups insisted we strike them now. The day has been hectic and I am lucky to have found the time to write my thoughts into this journal. We have been issued armor, weaponry, and have been given class after class on what to expect out in the Outer Lands. Surprisingly, much of the concern wasn't the fight, but the creatures inhabiting the Lands, specifically a spider-like creature that was said to be fast, like lightning, and had large pincers that could rend flesh with ease._

_Trin reassured me that, no matter how terrifying the creatures were, many of them were not aggressive and they simply scurried away at the sight of something larger than themselves. Those that were aggressive were few in numbers and spread thinly across the entirety of the Outer Lands. I felt a pressure lifted off of my shoulders, since insects were a particular fear of mine, and the spiders being non-provoking creatures was a welcome feeling._

Travis noticed that the entries stopped for many months after that one, which was odd, seeing that Jep had been excited for battle. He was also surprised to see that the corporal, whose own tone and choice of words made him seem irritable and distant, were absent in the pages of his own journal and that the entries were written much more eloquently. The entries picked up about a year ago and he was actually interested in finding out why.

_I have overcome my depression, so far, and have decided to write again. I'm not proud. I'm filled with sorrow and anger. I'm glad they put me here, in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to be seen. I like the silence, the solitude. I don't know if I'll write as much as I did before. Probably not. Not much to say. Won't be much to say out here in Sleepy Hollow. I have given my command fair warning that I would be remaining here in the outpost as long as possible. I can't go back. Not now. Not ever._

There weren't any entries after that and Travis felt confused as to why they stopped, started, and stopped once again. Jep actually seemed to be a decent person with a lot of things he wanted to accomplish. He didn't seem like that type of person, only an asshole, but his silence and distance was likely the reason for that. The soldier closed the book and placed it back to its spot on the desk. He stood up, intrigued and confused, but unwilling to ask, seeing as it wasn't right to bring up. _Hey, I just went through this personal book that you've been writing and it seems like something happened to you. Wanna talk to some stupid private about it? Yeah, that'd go well for you, Travis._

With a sigh, the boredom returned and the young private looked through the windows. It had been some time since he had kept up on his actual job of looking out for things. Jep wouldn't know, though, and it didn't seem like he was coming back anytime soon, so a quick look every now and then would be fine while he was alone. His eyes still weren't cutting through the dense blanket, so most of what he could see was just the trees surrounding the outpost and some silhouettes of trees in the distance. He considered moving back to his own chair and taking a nap, but something caught his attention in the distance. A shadow that looked less tree-like than any of the ones surrounding it. He brought his face closer to the glass, trying to get a better look, and he could see that there wasn't a single shadow out of place, but a second, and a third. The larger number ruled out Jep, so he tried giving a reasonable explanation for them.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._ The door sounded and his trance was broken. He counted three, but who knows how many it took to get his attention. _Knock. Knock._ That was five knocks. He slowly inched his way to the door, hands shaking slightly, reluctant to open the door. _KNOCK! _Six. Six of them. He noticed them getting louder. Travis was close to the door now, hand reaching out for the locking mechanism. _KNOCK! _That was seven knocks, just like Jep ordered. Travis unlocked the door, and slowly opened it. "Hey, Jep, we've got a situa-."

"You're a young one, aren't you? I like the young ones." A dark figure stood outside the door, tall and menacing with a cloak around his body and bright, piercing eyes. Travis took a step back and the figure took one forward. Fear had overcome his thoughts, clogging his immediate responses his father taught him. "Oh, you're not… scared, are you? Oh no no no, we can't have that." Shaking, sweating, the young man fiddled with his blade, grabbing hold of the hilt and pulling the sword out of its sheath. He went to swing at the cloaked man, but a sudden flash of energy stunned him, leaving his attack with no power. A weapon crashed against his, sending not only his blade onto the ground, but also sending him crashing to the floor.

"Courageous, aren't we? I'll give you a tip; don't pull a weapon out on someone unless you intend to use it!" Travis stared at the weapon that materialized from nowhere; it looked like a sword, but with an odd design and hilt, spines covering it all over. "Now, let us end this little game, boy. You're coming with me!" With a quick gesture of the figure's hand, something hit Travis, and then nothing. His last thoughts were filled with uncontrollable fear.


	5. Chapter 4

"Just… go ahead… kill me." "Oooooh hahaha! Hey, boys, you hear that!? The guy says he just wants to die! Should we give him what he wants!?" "No! Let him suffer! Hahaha! Yeah!" A loud group of people surrounded Jep, his face bruised and bloody from a beating. His eyes displayed sorrow and a want for an end to this suffering, but the resounding "no" from the crowd was enough to let them continue their torture. "Uhf! Please," the corporal coughed, blood spraying across the ground, "I want to… to die! I – hurp!" A man grabbed hold of his neck and began choking him. Travis's eyes opened up slowly to the scene, the sounds of gurgling and stomps on the ground making it hard to stay unconscious. They let go of him before he could lose himself, and Jep began coughing up blood again.

A man jogged up and gave a good solid kick to his jaw, sending his head back and sending blood through the air. "Let him go!" The cheering stopped as the demand was given by the young soldier, bound to a chair by rope. Something had gotten to Travis, as he was thinking of just playing dead in the chair, but the sight of Jep being slowly killed was too much for him. "Oh, boss, the kid is finally awake!" "Hey, the kid's good!" "Yeah! Just in time!" The rowdy, savage bunch cheered to his waking state and his heart sank to his stomach. "The little guy is finally with us, huh!? Boy, oh boy!" The crowd opened up for the leader of the group, the cloaked figure from before strolling through the opening.

He was now cloakless, but no less menacing than before. He wore baggy, brown pants held up by a darker brown belt, the legs tucked into a pair of old boots. His green shirt was tucked in, but the top buttons were undone, revealing a necklace of some sort around his neck. His face was covered in bandages, save for his eyes, mouth and nose. His eyes pierced through strands of dark purple hair that came slightly below his brow, watching Travis with a crazed, excited look. His tongue hung comically out of his mouth, drool wetting the bandages on his chin. He was insane, a monster; just his stare sent shivers down the young man's spine.

"Hey, kid. Welcome to the show! I'm glad you could join us! We're just, uh, finishing up your friend here. He gave us one hell of a performance tonight. I haven't been so entertained in my life! We're hoping you," the monster reached out and flick Travis's nose as if to be playful, "Will be just as exciting! Let's get started, shall we?" The tall man cracked his knuckles, jogging in place to "warm up". "Here goes, boy!" With all of his might, the insane torturer threw his fist towards the young soldier's face. Travis clenched up, tightening each individual muscle in his whole body for the impact, but sat confused when the impact never happened. "Oh, man, I'm such a bad host. I'm sorry guys." The crazed leader turned towards his men, shaking his head and throwing his arms out in exasperation. "It's alright, boss! We know you're eager for the kill!" The crowd accepted the apology and the boss turned back to his prey.

"I'm sorry to you, too. I haven't even introduced myself! Son, the name is Malek. I'll be your host for tonight's show. What's your name?" Travis thought about the situation he was in, looking around the room with fear in his eyes. He spotted Jep, who seemed to be in a mix of thankfulness and hatred. He was so welcome to the thought of dying, that he begged for it, but the pain of prolonged torture having ended must have been a relief. "Come on, now. Don't be shy. We're all good folks here." "My… my name?" "Yes! Yes! Your name, boy, what is it?"

"Go fuck yourself." The group gave a long "ooo", Malek himself nodding while he thought about the answer. "Huh. 'Go fuck yourself', eh? That seems to be a common name for you folk. I don't understand how I keep capturing all these 'Go fuck yourself's. It's a mystery to me." The group cheered and laughed at their boss's joke, bidding Malek to raise his hands and smile, beckoning more cheers. "Well, 'Go fuck yourself', I think we can get started now!" "I'll kill you!" The sudden claim froze the comical man in place for a moment, breathing deeply for a moment and then gathering himself to speak. "Run that by me again, kid? I love this spunk of yours by the way."

Travis clenched his teeth, looking at his aggressor directly in the eyes, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "I said, you freak, that I'll kill you!" The torturer got close, placing both of his hands onto the teen's shoulders and got his face uncomfortably close to his. "You'll kill me? Yeah? Boy, I'd sure like to see that!" Malek stared Travis directly in the eyes and soon, his right eye began lazing to the right, while the left stayed put. "You're an ugly freak. My dad is going to find you and destroy this whole damn operation. Then, I'll kill you." At the word "ugly", Malek's right eye shot back suddenly and his expression changed from over-enthusiasm to unbridled anger.

"Ugly? Did you just say _ugly_!?" A swift kick broke the legs of Travis's chair, making the teen crash into the ground in a matter of seconds. "Ahh! I'm not ugly, you little shit! Yar! Yar! How are my bandages!? Are they fine!?" Another man stepped from the crowd, a metal mask over his face and a cloak covering the rest of his body. "Yes, boss." The deep tone of voice from behind that mask was one of trance-like obedience, the private thought. "Yar, we have to go reapply them! Come! Put these shits in the cells and _don't touch them_! I'll deal with them when I get back!" The two men disappeared through a door way, while the remaining bunch booed and complained.

Behind the bars, Travis felt safer. Maybe it was because he was in an enclosed space, or maybe it was the feeling of confinement. He couldn't pinpoint it himself, but he could definitely feel relief, especially when he looked at his cell mate's battered and abused appearance. "Jep… I'm sorry I didn't wake up sooner." The private didn't even know if his cell mate was awake, but he wanted to break the silence a little, maybe get to know why the corporal acted the way he did as well. It took a few minutes, and Travis almost lost hope of a response, but Jep's shuffling made him look up. "It's alright, kid… I'm sort glad you woke up when you did. I was, uh… I was at my limits." "Maybe if I had woken up sooner, you wouldn't be so beat up, though."

The red head laughed at the private's words, giving a faint smile. "You can't get all hung up on that shit, you know? That's all in the past. What matters is now." Jep looked up at the small opening to the outside, the moonlight shining through and giving some light. Silence took hold of the two for a time and Travis wanted to ask about the book, but the corporal was already in enough pain. He didn't want to cause any more, but his curiosity was beginning to win. "So, hey… When you were out on patrol…" Jep coughed as he looked towards his current companion, listening intently to his words.

"I did something you wouldn't like, I don't think. I read your journal on the desk." Awkward silence followed this as Jep stared through the swelling that was closing his eyes. The young man curled up more as he felt the beaten corporal's gaze burn through him. "I'm sorry." It was all he could muster the courage to do. "I guess someone had to read it. It was put to better use, that's for sure. I haven't written anything in there for ages, but fate knows I want to. I just don't have the right way to say what I need." "Well, what… what happened? You stopped at being sent to battle, and then you wrote about the outpost." A long, drawn-out sigh came from Jep, where an internal struggle must have been taking place.

"Well, y'know about us being told to go fight, so I guess I'll start there."

_We were in the Out Lands for a day. We set up a small camp and spent the night thinking about the fight ahead. We ate a good meal, watched the stars, reminisced about our homes, even talked about the ladies we had at home. It was a brotherhood I never thought I'd lose. The next day, early in the morning, the sound of heavy marching woke us from our sleep. We knew it had to be the Light. Adrenaline and the thirst for victory ran through our veins as we pulled our weapons out and scaled the sides of a crater we had made our nesting ground. There they were, alright, but way more than we could have guessed._

_Intel said there was only a company or two. Nothing we couldn't handle. What we saw must have been a whole damn army. They weren't going to fight the Darkness, no; they looked like they were getting ready to take another World. They'd knock out their government, instill their own and rotate units in and out in the name of "protection". If they wouldn't comply, they were deemed members of the Darkness. You can guess what happened after that. They were just as bad as their counterparts and stopping them was just as fun as it was with the Darks._

_We said screw it, though, and attempted to contact HQ, but one of their damned sentries caught sight of us and, being that we fight both of the other armies, they claimed us enemies and made way for us. HQ told us to stand our ground and fight with honor. That was easy to say on the other side of the comms portal, but watching that huge force move towards us… it was terrifying. _

_They hit us with some small meteors; they got two of our own. We took that as all we needed to go out there and fight. So, we charged them head on. Our mages continued a bombardment of our own magic while we boots took to the front lines. That Dis-Blading technique worked wonders at destroying those weapons of theirs. Those "Keyblades", as they called them. Their personal magic was of no use and that scared them sometimes. We were doing well at raising hell at first, but then… I'll never forget the guy. _

_From within the army was the commander, the king of the Light; the War King. He was tall, built for battle, and brandished a heavy Keyblade. He wore the heaviest looking armor you'd ever see and, through the eye slits on his helmet, you could see those blood-thirsty orbs of white looking right at you from miles away. Trin and I looked at each other and I felt like he was thinking just what I was; two guys with one of the greatest techniques in the universe and one king. We could win it. We charged right at him at began our assault, but he wasn't like the others, no way. _

_He blew me far away from him with a pulse of magic and then took Trin by the neck. I saw him struggle against the grip, kicking and trying to burn through his hands with fire magic. Eventually, though, he went limp and that bastard raised the corpse of my master, my friend, high into the air as a trophy. I fell unconscious at that point and when I woke up, I was being hauled away by our own men. My last sight of that battle field before we made the jump home was of most, if not all, of my comrades dead. Just lying there, some burned to death and others dead from blood loss. It was one of those things you just never forget. _

_That's why I like the solitude. I can't look at all those people and their camaraderie and be happy. I needed to be alone. _

"I'm sorry, Jep… I didn't think-." The red head held up a hand to stop him from saying any more. "Like I said, it's all in the past. I actually feel a little better now. Thanks, kid." "I'm… not a kid." Jep chuckled softly to himself. "Yeah, yeah. Of course you're not. Nah, you're just crazy, joining this life of your own free will and all. What the hell were you thinking, guy?" To be honest, the young man hadn't ever thought about it. He joined because he grew up, knowing his father as a soldier. He just felt like he needed to be like that, to belong, and to be accepted. There was no other reason and, now that he sat to contemplate on it, he felt like an idiot.

"It's alright. You ain't gotta explain. Some people have those weird motives that I don't understand. One of my guys, Jerry, man he was one of those people. He had this idea that if he rose through the ranks enough, he could find out why the contractor who bought us out made us fight against both sides of the war. He thought it was a conspiracy, but I knew better. I knew that man upstairs with all the big wigs hated how the forces worked, too. Just like the rest of us." Travis kept his mouth shut. It was better to let Jep think he had some secret motive like that to keep him fighting. He just wanted to get home, though. Now, more than ever, he just wanted to be done with this stupid "war" and go back home to his family.

Maybe he wasn't the only one. Maybe Jep wanted that more than he did. He hadn't been home in a long time, opting to sit out in the middle of nowhere to close himself off to the outside. Now that he's shared his pain, though… would he be willing to go back home? "Hey, Jep." "Yeah, kid?" "Let's break out of here. Go home. Get these guys what they deserve. It shouldn't be hard, right?" "Kid, these guys ain't gonna let us go. We're their main event. They're gonna beat us and make us bleed and hurt until we finally give up." "What about a comms portal? You should know how to work one, right?"

Jep sat up straighter, a stern look on his face. "If we activate a comms portal, yeah the HQ would send us some guys, but these punks would figure it out, too. They got the magic to sense that type of shit. We'd be dead quicker than we could count our blessings." It really was a dream, escaping from here. There's no way they could get out without catching the attention of those savages. Travis balled up against the wall, his fear and sadness swelling up inside of him. He wasn't going home and his father wouldn't even suspect a thing until it was too late. "Kid, get on the ground and act sick."

"W-what?" "I said hurry up and get on the ground. Act like you're in pain. Come on!" Travis was confused, but did as Jep said, curling up on the ground and groaning in pain. He let the fear take him and let some tears fall from his cheeks, for the added effect. "Help! Hey, this kid's sick! Someone get him help!" As soon as Jep began yelling, the door to the holding room opened up and a man came in, keys in hand. "What's all this abou- oh, shit! Hey, kid, I'll be there in a second! The boss wants you healthy for the show tonight!" The man began unlocking the cell, hurriedly making his way to Travis. "I'm a healer, what's wr- argh!" With a sudden strike, the man fell to the ground, slumped over Travis's side.

"Come on, kid, grab his sword. We're getting out of here. Gotta hurry, though, 'cause it sounds like they're gettin' ready for another show." The private stood up, reaching for the blade on the side of the snoring man and followed Jep out of the cell. "Alright, kid, we're going to make our way down through the hallway, to the next room, and go through the window. I noticed each room has one, so we should be good. Then, I'll contact HQ while we're making our way out. If we call for an urgent retrieval, we may be lucky enough to get out of here alive. You with me so far?" Travis nodded ecstatically and gave a large smile to his friend. He wasn't sure for what reason Jep has changed his mind, but his hope of getting the both of them home was growing.

The corporal looked out of the doorway, scouting the hall for threats, but found none and beckoned for Travis to follow closely behind. They treaded lightly, making their way across the hallway and opening the door in front of them. The room was empty, thankfully, and the window was in plain view. Jep hurried to it, slowly moving it up and motioning for Travis to go through. Setting the blade outside in the damp grass, Travis stepped through and held the window open for his comrade. The both of them were out in the cold, windy night together, finally free of their prison. The two of them began heading out into the dense forest as Jep began activating a comms portal with his little energy left.

A small, blue circle of energy appeared in his hand and he began speaking into it. "HQ, this is an emergency, HQ." After a moment, of silence, words finally came back from the other side. "This is HQ, understood we have an emergency. What is your location?" "We are in Sleepy Hollow, uh, I don't have pinpoint coordinates, but we just escaped from a prison-like building." "This is HQ, follow the directions to the nearest pick-up point and prepare for extraction." "Make our way to pick-up for extraction, roger." The circle turned into an arrow, almost like a compass, that pointed towards the extraction site. The two soldiers rushed past the trees and shrubs, hopeful and filled with energy.

Then, the sound of something akin to a battle-cry was heard in the distance, followed by the sounds of footsteps racing through the woods. They were found out. "Come on this way, kid, we have to hurry!" As the two raced on, the howling savages behind them continued getting louder and they knew they weren't going to be able to hide. "Jep, what are we gonna do? Where is this damn place?" A glowing light began shining through the fog, growing brighter until it turned into a burning orange. The hissing of fire magic flew through the air as balls of fire smashed against trees, setting them aflame. The howling and laughter only continued to grow, and it was likely now that they weren't going to make it at this rate.

"Kid, kid! We're here! Try and hold them off, alright?" "W-wait, hold on, I can't hold all of them off!" "HQ! We're here for extraction, hurry! Oh shit!" Slicing through the air was a blade of darkness. Travis watched as it plunged into his comrade's chest, sending him flying a few feet back and into the ground with a rough impact. "Jep! Hold on!" Travis rushed to his friend's side, hoping he could aid him in some way. As he knelt down beside the corporal, he noticed the blade was coursing darkness through the wound in pulses. Jep writhed in agony for a second, stopping only after noticing the private next to him.

"Jep, it's going to be alright, you just have to stay with me! Please!" "I… wasn't expecting to live anyways, kid. Hahaha urgh… I just knew that you… you were young and had a life ahead of you. You were brave… back there, in the prison. You inspired me to escape and now we're here. They're on their way to you." Tears began to well up in Travis's eyes as he gripped Jep's hand tightly in an attempt to ease the pain in any way he could. "Don't-don't talk like that! You're going home with me! We're going to make it!" "I need you to look at me, kid. I'm not going to make it." Jep put more pressure of Travis's hands as the howling of their torturers grew louder, till they were all around them. "You will, though. I'll make sure of it. Don't let this go to waste, alright? I can see… I can see there are great things in you, kid."

Travis's tears began to drop. "I-I'm not a kid…" The private began to sob as Jep made one final grip on his hand. "Of course you're not, Travis. You're a soldier." The ground around the two began to glow and small pebbles began to rise from the ground. Jep's battered body began to glow a soft gold as his feet began to slowly disappear into particles of energy. The gold specks of his life force made their way to Travis's body, infusing him with the knowledge of master's long before him. "Thank you, Travis. For letting me feel the rush again. Go on to do big things. I know you can." The last bits of Jep's body evaporated, fusing the sobbing private with his life force. "D-don't go, Jep… Please…"

The group of savages broke through the tree line, screaming and cheering for a kill. Jep's final gift to his friend was a pulse of energy to push back the attackers. A flash of light opened a portal to Travis's tear-filled eyes and he could see a number of people come from the light, grabbing him and pulling him towards the opening in reality. He looked at the last spot that Jep had been before passing away, giving his last bits of life to make sure he survived. It was a selfless act of camaraderie, one that Jep knew his friends would have done for him. Travis shouted as the portal closed to the group pounding the ground and tossing fire into the air for their missed prey, with Malek in the front, the blades of darkness burning at his fingertips. "I'll kill you!"


End file.
